Snippet seven

Woodstock: The iconic American rock festival of the twentieth century

A Untold, ‘ Semi-Fictional’ Rendition

by

Mark M. Lichterman

Copyright © Mark M. Lichterman March 1, 2023

Authors Notation: Other than those that were actually a participating member or members of the Woodstock Festival, all others are fictitious characters and situations created for dramatic effect, and especially at this author’s whim.

Further Notation: I have no intention of repeating my nineteen part Woodstock series as first submitted on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, but  digging further into the earlier lives of Sharon and Clyde and her Polish immigrant parents: 'Murray and Sarah Kandinsky and his Irish immigrant parents, Malcolm and Ellen Murphy.

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                                                                                                               Chapter Sixteen

 

                                                                                                                       
Loveland, Ohio

5/19/39

12: 16 PM

Returning to the store— still surprising Sarah — finding at least five people in 'Pink's' with purchase' in hand being cared for by a strange woman, along with three waiting before the 'payment' counter and the 'dinging' National Cash Register' machine dinging up sales as quickly as Lester was able to tap the proper keys.

"Got so busy, had to call 'Olivia' to give me a hand."

"Olivia's your wife?"

"Yes." Nodding to Sarah.

"That'll be forty-seven cents." Lester said to the next customer in line. Then ringing up the sale.. "Thank you for shopping at 'Pink's." he said, as returning the three pennies change to the lady.

12:20 PM

"Need to make a call, Lester, you want to hand me the phone?"

"Sure!" Momentarily between customers, reaching beneath... "Here you go Malcolm..." standing the telephone on the counter.

Tapping the receiver cradle... "Operator, I'd like to make a call..."

"I'm Loretta" the switchboard operator sad "...you one of the new people at Pink's?"

Always amazed at the simplicity of life in small town America. Surprised at the question, and that he actually knew the name of a telephone

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switchboard operator, wherever she might be. "Yes. One of them." Looking at Lester and the woman that was handing him a five dollar bill. "I'm Malcolm."

"Hi, Malcolm. I'm your local daytime operator."

" 'Local? Loveland has it's own telephone office?"

"Oh, yeah. We're a couple'a blocks down the street from Pink's, in the railway station... What number you calling?"

"It's a Cincinnati number. '4756'."

"The Automobile Supply Warehouse!"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"Calls from the Shell station in Milford come through me."

Lifting a finger, motioning to Lester that he will be off the phone and out of his way soon.

Attempting not to sound feceious which Malcolm was not. "Seems if I want to know anything about about 'anything' hereabouts I ought'a just tap for my operator."

Attempting to sound friendly, which Loretta was. "Think I'm a 'know it all? You ain't talked to 'Herbert'."

Moving the phone to the far side of the counter, giving customers and Lester a bit more room. " 'Herbert'?"

"Herbie's' the 'postmaster' and 'stationmaster'."

"Loveland's post office is in the train station?"

"The Post Office, too." As though she had all the time in the world— which she did, at least until someone else wanted to make a telephone call—

"Early on, they thought there weren't enough people here to have a real post office, and as the train stopped once

                   

                                         147         
here only once a day— leaving that day's mail and packages, by the way. To save money, they combined the two, then, way back, there weren't that many people that had a telephone, and seeing as Loveland is kind of centralised, and had more than enough room here, they added a telephone switchboard, and it's been working pretty good. Matter's of fact, he's also the part time telephone operator, for when me and Hilda..."

"Hilda?"

"Hilda's the nighttime operator, and Herbie'll take over on our days off."

12:31 PM

"Hold on, Malcolm. You've a call coming in."

The line silent for the seconds it took Sarah to say: "Whenever you're through, I want to call the lawyer."

Loretta back: "It's Lawrence, uh, the lawyer. He want's to talk to Sarah."

"Should I hang up first?"

"Not unless Sarah's not there."

"No, she's...'Here'!" Handing the reliever to Sarah. "It's the Lawyer."

"Hello!"

Jerking a plug from one of hundreds of ports, Loretta, plugging it into another....

"Sarah?"

"Yes."

The line silent for a moment. "Sarah?"

"Yes. It's me."

"Hello, don't know if you remember..."

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"I do. Remember I was there when you talked to Agnes."

"I know. Anyway, I'm calling to let you know that 'Phillamarlarky'... You know who I mean?"

"Yes. Everyone call him that?"

"Not usually, at least to his face."

Watching as a man and woman came through the doorway.  "I'll bet."

"Just wanted to tell you that there's no need for you and your people to come to my office today, 'cause he called and gave me all I need right now to get your 'corp' papers going."

"That's good, Larry... Mind if I call you 'Larry'?"
"Nah. It's my name, ain't it? And I've been calling you 'Sarah'. That okay?"

" Sure it it is! And your mother ever tell you, 'Ain't, ain't in the dictionary'?"

"Soon as we're ready for you all to sign, I'll give you call."

"Thank', Larry... Bye."

12:37 PM

No sooner than Sarah hanging the receiver onto it's cradle; one plug pulled and another plugged at the railroad/post office /telephone office...

Ringing at Pink's. Picked up by Malcolm...

"Malcolm..." Loretta asked "...you still want to make that Cincinnati call?"

12:45 PM

Malcolm still on his Cincinnati call. Murray towards the rear of the huge store having a conference with Lester and Oliva. Sarah now behind the check-out counter, alongside the National Cash Register.

The last customer present pocketing his change then hoisting and draping the skedge hammer over his

                                           

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shoulder left the store.

Standing to the side, feeling rather useless. "Kids have been really good this morning..." Ellen said "...but they're getting tired now, so think I'll get them home for lunch and a nap."

"Good idea." Doing her best not to sound 'bossy'. " I've been thinking and have a few ideas I want us to talk about." Coming from around the counter, leaning into the buggy, Sarah kissed Sharon's head. "So why don't you come on back later, after they're up and we'll talk."

12:49 PM

Her mind had hinted at 'it' all this day. Unable to think of 'what'! Sarah Kaminsky knew something within her personality had transformed from 'the wife who's name followed her husband's' to..? The 'thought'! The sensation that it was she, herself, that would now be leading as the others followed.

Walking to the front, eastern side of the store, Sarah paced off three wide steps. 'Nine feet', she thought. Then, from the point she still stood, facing the large storefront window, she paced off another three long steps, and mentally adding a foot. 'Nine by ten'.

As Murray had not the slightest idea how, motioning to Lester: "Watch the register now, would you, please?"

Striding to the far rear and outside onto the loading platform. The 12'X12 ' shed protecting the 'Feed' section of 'Pink's Hardware and Feed'. 'Yes! The idea that had touched her mind earlier returning with a definite resolution.

5/19/39

5:32 PM... The sign on the door turned to 'Closed'.

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Sarah, standing behind the check-out counter, wanting no distractions, on this evening there was no tray of food upon the counter.

Malcolm— with Clyde once again held between his father's legs— with Ellen alongside, then Murray— with Sharon perched upon his lap. Then, asked to remain, Lester and his wife, Oliva, were all seated on folding bridge chairs in a semi-circle before the counter.

5:34 PM

This conversational/educational evening opening dramatically with the dinging of the National Cash register. Removing and counting that days— their second day in business— total sales...

Coming to one hundred, sixty-seven dollars and fifty-eight cents, that Sarah then dropped into the green 'Loveland National Bank' canvas bag for deposit tomorrow morning. Silently adding the three figures in her head, thinking: Almost four-fifty there!

"This will go into the bank tomorrow morning, giving us enough cash to start."

Although noticing it earlier today, at the bankers office, yet surprised once again at his wife's authoritative inflection. "To start what!?"

Ignoring Murray's irradiated tone. "Lester, Agnes told me that you have been working for Pink's on and off for years."

Nodding his head. "Yes. that's why I know the stock so well."

"And this." Tapping the cash register. "She trusted you enough to leave you in charge of 'everything' when she or her husband had to be somewhere else."

"When the 'National Cash Register' man came to teach us, Agnes said I might as well learn hiow to also."

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"Lester, how would you and..." looking at Olivia "...Olivia like to be full time employees of Pink's?"

"Our children are grown and on their own..." Olivia said "...and whenever I'm called here to help out, I love having something productive to do. So, for me..." glancing at her husband "... as far as I'm concerned, I'd love to!

 

'Lester'?" His wife questioned.

"Me, too! Of course."

"Okay, them. That's good! We'll work out a weekly salary for you tomorrow."

Other than nuts and bolts and nails, having a hard time figuring what and where many of the items his customers had asked for, silently glad to have Lester and his wife 'full time'. Although wondering where the money would come from for two full time employees in addiction to all the other expenses, Murray said nothing.

Realising her husband wasn't all that happy at her taking charge. "Murray, you are really good at organising and selling what you make..."

" 'Made'!" he corrected.

"So I think that you've 'got ' to be 'General Manager' off..." her arm making a wide sweeping motion "...the entire place."

Rightfully assuming that a transformation from' wife to 'boss' had been made— and so far, other than feeling slighted, everything his wife had proposed seemed to be absolutely 'right'.

Taking a deep breath, aware that there has no real opposition to all that she had proposed.

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"Ellen, I know you must be feeling left out, but... If it's okay with you, after you took Clyde and Sharon home, I paced out what size and where I think

your hat salon should go."

Thinking: She has no more right than me to say where I should be!

"Along the wall there..." pointing to the far eastern wall.

That's where I wanted. Ellen thought.

"I figure..." Sarah going on. "...your salon should be no smaller... Because, I can't imagine that women, and customers, would not want to visit and talk to you..." a new thought coming to Sarah "...and maybe to even help teaching them how to make their own hats; your place should be no smaller than 'eight by nine', or possibly nine by ten."

"Sarah..." excitedly "..there's more room there than the place we lived in on Halsted Street."

"What we'd..." although at this time there was no 'we', only what Sarah proposed. And she did not give the impression that she was open for arguments, or even a difference of opinion "What we'd like you to do is to sharpen your 'artistic ability' and come up with artwork for your salon and, so it'll be seen from the outside, you'll paint on your window."

" Everything you've said, Sarah, I 'love'!"

"And then... I'll tell you what else we'd like you to do is to design a wholly new sign..." pointing to the outside window "...for Pinks Hardware..." looking to Malcolm "...and Automobile Service..." adding "...INC."

"Why, Sarah?" Standing, his eyes glassy. "Why is every thing going so well with us? Why is our Lord giving us so much? This..." motioning about "...is like we're all in a wonderful dream and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and

 

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my Ellen and my boy-o and I'll back in that little dingy place in Chicago."

"Me, too. I feel it's all a dream, but maybe it isn't. Maybe your..." Ellen's eyes fastened onto Sarah "...Agnes is an angel sent by our Lord to give us this..." motioning about "...wonderful Life."

"If your God did give us all this, then I certainly do thank Him. Or, more the likely, it's possible that sometimes good things do happen to..." Sarah's eyes touching Malcolm and Ellen and Murray, and both Olive and Lester "...good people."

5:54 PM

Sarah, after all, had been the first to call and speak to Agnes. To then take the train from Chicago to Cincinnati to meet Agnes. The first to see 'Pink's' and the house on Placid Street. The one to listen to and accept Agnes' proposition. Then the train back to Chicago, and by Sarah's effort and prompting, the very next day to force the families from the hovels they had been living in to this beautiful little city and home, and to a wonderful future they could not as of yet imagine.

The thought not a cognoscente thought— and Sarah would be deeply embarrassed if she thought it was— however deeply hidden within the minds of her husband and Ellen and Malcolm Murphy, thirty-five year old Sarah Kaminsky— unbeknown to her— had become a likeness of Moses leading their two families from darkness into bright daylight.

5:54 PM

Sarah's demeanour, and tone of voice changing to the one God, or simply fate and ambition had placed her into— into this authoritative persona that

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that had now been accepted as the groups authoritative figure.

"Malcolm, what happened this afternoon? You get enough information from 'Shell to get started?"

"Oh, yes, I did. 'Zippo'..."

" 'Zippo'? Like in the 'Marx Brothers'?"

"Beats me, Murray!" Shrugging his shoulders. "That's what the guy running the 'Shell' station in Milford said his name was. Anyway, he runs a repair service also, and was actually glad to hear that we were planning on starting a automobile repair service also, because, he said, he has more business than he can handle and..." tapping his shirt pocket "... gave me the number of his suppliers in Cincinnati and I've spoken to two of them already, and Zippo sold us what I told him I'd need to get that Chevie long-bed going..."

"Good thing, 'cause we still have that two hundred pounds of 'Pig Slop' to deliver." Murray said. Then, "Lester, You know what 'pig Slop is?"

"Yeah, I do! And even know where to deliver it, soon as the Chevies running."

"Was going to do it today, but time got away from me, so I'll get working on it first thing tomorrow. Oh..." Bringing another slip from his shirt pocket "... here's the quotations of what the supply houses think we'll be needing to start up."

"You didn't order anything?"

"No..." handing the slips over the counter "...comes to almost three hundred, so thought I'd better talk to you first."

Studying the slip of paper a moment.. "How'll all this get here?"

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"If I order it early tomorrow morning, it'll all be here on the afternoon

train."

"How and when do we pay for it?"

"I guess Herb will call us..."

" 'Herb'?"

"Herbies the Station Master and, oh, by the way, Loretta..."

" 'Loretta'?"

" Loretta's the telephone switchboard lady and she told me that Herbie's also the postmaster. So he'll call us when the shipment arrives and I'll go get it. And the invoices will be sent to us..."

"By mail?"

"Murray..." trying not to sound factious "... of 'course by mail'."

Slightly chastised."This whole thing... 'Everything' seems so simple."

Malcolm answering Sarah's second question. "I was told that we should send a check as soon as the shipment arrives..."

We're actually doing business by check! Sarah thought.

"...but we actually have fourteen days before it's past due."
6:00 PM

Glancing at her watch. "It's getting late, but I have a lot more I'd like to get off my mind..." Clyde slumped to the floor, his head resting upon his father's knee, asleep. Sharon, cradled in Murray's arms also asleep.

"Lester, tomorrow I'd like you to construct a four..." looking at Clyde "...five foot high half wall ..." making a 'L' shaped sign with her fingers "...in the..." pointing "...far wall with a half door opening inward, so neither of those two..."
motioning to Clyde and Sharon "...will be able to slip out without Ellen or one of us noticing.

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"No Problem, can do, boss! Want it painted?"

Not really liked being called 'boss', however? "Ellen and I'll talk about that, and get back to you about the paint colour."

6:05 PM

Quiet a few seconds, Sarah's mind arriving at a clearity she'd never before witnessed. "In that shed back there..." motioning to the far rear of the store "...where all that feed stuff is stored..."

"Stock's s pretty low now. Haven't bought anything since old man Pink died."

"Lester, think we can find someone to take over that part of 'Pink's' so we can clear all that out?"

Just as glad to get rid of it, as they knew nothing about the 'feed' business. "What are you thinking, Sarah?"

"We get rid of it all..." making a dismissive motion with her hand "...and use the shed for our new automobile service work and storage area. Malcolm, think that'll work for you?"

"I was wondering where we were going to put me. Yeah, that'll be 'perfect'!"

"Olivia, you and Lester know of anyone that can take charge of that for us?"

"Not sure we..." jerking his thumb towards his wife "...know what you mean."

"You know of anyone honest enough to take over our entire feed business?Anyone that has room to store it all, and handle 'sales and delivery?"

Looking at her husband. " 'Barry' and 'Mildy' might."

"Barry's our son and Mildy, uh 'Mildred's' his wife..."

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"Kids have been married two years now and bought a little farm that mister

Phillamarlarky's bank foreclosed on..."

"Barry and Mildy were friends of the poor people that owned it..."

"So they had to wait till their friends moved away before they bought it for all of eight hundred dollars..."

"Whole thing's only five acres..." interupting his wife again "... so the kids never expected to make a fortune."

"Place have a barn?"

"Yes, it does." Lester said

"Your kids, they have a truck?"

Olive, actually the smarter of the two, beginning to comprehend what Sarah had been getting at. "They do." she said.

Recalling how Agnes had stopped the automobile, pulled to the curb and told her, point for point, what the terms of her proposition would be.

"Think they might be interested in becoming a...?" Having no idea where the word, and meaning came from. " ...'subsidiary' of 'Pink's?"

Lester and olivia exchanging confused glances at each other, and Sarah.

Not looking for, nor willing to accept any suggestions or opposition from her husband, Malcolm or Ellen.

"Do you or your children have telephones?"

"No."

Glancing at Malcolm, whom, unknowingly had become the intermediary between Pinks and the Cincinnati Bell telephone company.

"Talk to your kids, and if they accept 'our' terms, we'll have telephones installed at both your places."

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6:13 PM

"Uh..." Murray sounding as though he were about to say something, but a glance from his wife stopping him.

"But here's the deal... " speaking primarily to Olivia "...all of the 'feed' stock— whatever will be needed for the business will be paid for by 'Pink's ' to be shipped directly to Barry and Mildred's barn.

"I'm sure there's a list here somewhere of our 'Feed' customers, and what and how much they usually purchase.

"Once their telephone is installed, possibly Barry, or your daughter-in-law can start contacting the customers giving them their new number so they— the customers, can order directly eliminating Lester or me having to take time to take their orders then pass the information on to your kids."

Stopping for a second or so. "You with me so far on this?"

Olivia and Lester both affirmatively nodding their heads. Both waiting for the 'in payment' part.

"When 'whatever' stock must be reordered, I would like this in writing— in who's ever writing is most legible so then I will order what is needed and pay for it... This way also, I will know what has been sold..."

"The kids are as honest as the day is..."

"I'm not questioning their honesty..." not knowing them, in a way Sarah was "...just trying to keep a rolling inventory list."

"We will pay all expenses... As their truck will be used to make deliveries, Malcolm will keep it in good order at no cost to them. As their telephone is to be used to keep contact with customers, and us, we will pay the telephone cost."

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"How far are you from your children?"

"A mile or so." Lester replied.

"Okay, at the close of each business day, whatever sales and delivery had been paid for, the cash or checks are to be given to you..." finger wagging between Lester and Olive "...and brought in to us the next morning to be tallied and added to our daily bank deposit."

Sarah's knowledgeable words and business procedures coming from...? College of Chicago's class of 'Bookkeeping and Accounting One'?

"So here's what we're going to do then. We'll handle all the paperwork, including the ordering and payment for whatever we'd ordered, and for their work... On the last work day of each month, Barry and Mindy will receive..." Sarah's mind still working on this, however wanting to be fair "...after we roughly figure the material costs, Barry and Mindy will receive fifty percent of whatever profit comes to Pink's from the work done by your son and daughter-in-law."

Realising what a boon this would be for their children, who had been holding off giving them a grandchild. "Thank you!" Standing, leaning over the counter, hugging Sarah. "That's more than fair." Olive said.

Not quite finished yet. Sarah's mind still racing.

"You think your telephone switchboard lady, uh...?"

" 'Loretta'."

"Yes. You think Loretta knows most of the people here in Loveland?"

"Sarah, I think Loretta knows 'everyone' for ten miles around!"

"Okay, then... Ellen, tomorrow — you have any nice hats made?"

"Yes. Lots of them."

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"Okay. Good. Tomorrow, take two of your nicest hats and go on over and

introduce yourself..."

Speaking now to Malcolm. "This Loretta, she on that switchboard all by herself, all of the time?"

"No, she said she's the daytime switchboard operator and there's a night-time operator bu the name of... Hilda, I think."

"Tomorrow, Ellen, you take two of your nicest hats and go on over to the telephone office..."

Again to Malcolm. "You said the telephone office, and the post office are all in the train station?"

"Aren't small towns wonderful! 'Yes', everything important is in the train station."

Back to... "Tomorrow morning, Ellen. You take your two pretest hats over to the train station and introduce yourself to Loretta, and tell her that you'll be opening your, 'Woman's Hat Salon' in Pink's, and that these two hats are a gift to her and the other switchboard lady, And I 'guarantee', every woman for 'ten miles around' will know about you and your hats."

6:40 PM

Standing back now. Closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.

"All that, that you said, had to take a whole lot of thought. Give yourself a headache, my honey?"

"No, Murray. Just had a lot to say... Most of it I don't even know where it came from."

"Wherever it came from..." reaching across, holding his wife's cheeks within his hands "...everything you said was good." Murray kissed Sarah.

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                              Chapterr Seventeen

                                 That's Not A Toy